Sacrifice of Praise
Wednesday, October 7
Sacrifice of Praise
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. Hebrews 13:15
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word sacrifice is defined as an act of offering to a deity something precious. That precious thing is our praise. When we combine this definition to that which we know of God, we understand that a sacrifice is a gift to God declaring that He is worthy, and we are not. A sacrifice hurts, it’s costly, it takes effort—and the ultimate sacrifice cost our Savior, Jesus Christ, His life. Likewise, for us, a sacrifice of praise won’t always be easy and effortless, but difficult and costly.
It is often a sacrifice on our part when we’re burdened or in a very hard place to open our mouths and give praise and glory to God. But Jesus has promised to help us.
Life often takes its toll on us stealing our joy, peace and sadly, worship. This is why it’s called a sacrifice of praise. This means we praise God even when we do not feel like it. Because of Scripture, we know that we don’t just confess God’s name; shout glory hallelujah when it feels good, looks good, or benefits us in some way. We offer praise, as Hebrews 13:15 says, “continually.” This means without ceasing and in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
It is our duty to offer up praises to God at all times and in all seasons. Nehemiah says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength” (8:10). Through praise we are strengthened—imagine that! Praise focuses us on where our joy comes from and where our mind should be, and the result is our strength!
Praise is a powerful, secret weapon that we can use to destroy the enemy who comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. Your praise drives out the powers of darkness and lets in Gods glorious light.